Signorelli and John Cooley, the co-founder of FastCAP, came into business following six years of research and development in the MIT Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems (LEES) Lab. At MIT, Signorelli and Cooley discovered they had come up with a revolutionary energy storage technology.

But one hurdle remained: transitioning the engineers’ idea into the marketplace. Signorelli and Cooley knew they needed some financial help, and they got it in 2009 in the form of a $5.5 million grant made possible by the Recovery Act.

“It created an avalanche,” Signorelli said. “We started to raise additional funding, to the point where we actually had to turn down investors.”

FastCAP – which creates durable green-friendly batteries that charge in seconds and deliver energy almost instantly, all at a price more than 50 percent less than today’s technologies – went from two employees to 20 today. If things continue at their pace, Signorelli said, FastCAP will double and hit 40 employees by the end of the year.

That hiring isn’t just salespeople and highly trained technical experts, but the all-important manufacturers as well. And this kind of employment explosion is only possible thanks to the kickstart provided by the ARRA, Signorelli said, noting that “the federal government has had and will continue to have a huge part in helping companies that innovate products.”

But it’s up to the private sector to do the actual hiring, which is why FastCAP is so committed to its internship program – especially because its work is so state-of-the-art.

“It’s not efficient to develop green technology without also developing the workforce,” Signorelli said. “Our internship program gets [young people]excited.”

“That’s how we make this revolution sustainable in the U.S.”

Article by Ari Matusiak, Executive Director of the White House Business Council

About Author

Walter’s contributions to CleanTechies over the past 4 years have been instrumental in growing the publications social media channels via his ongoing editorial and data driven strategies. He is the founder and managing director of Sunflower Tax, a renewable energy tax and finance consultancy based in San Diego, California. Active in the San Diego clean technology community, participating in events sponsored by CleanTech San Diego, EcoTopics, and Cleantech Open San Diego, Walter has also been a presenter at numerous California Center for Sustainability (CCSE) programs. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law where he teaches a course on energy taxation and policy.

1 Comment

The need for additional electricity is projected to grow at 40% globally over the next few years with no end in sight due to the increased use of battery charged devices and other electronics. We should all be reducing our own requirements for electricity to reduce the overall need on the grid and adapting to LED lighting to reduce that overall need. Reducing the increased need by adopting LED technology lights will hold off the urgent needs for additional power plants. The technology has become cheaper to purchase quality products and not the cheaper products that have plagued that industry for years. Early adopters get stung in any technology until quality thinking companies come on line and develop the best in class. We have been told that ours are the best and look forward to acquainting others into our patents and upcoming IP filings.

We just need the next round of funding to make it happen quicker. Any help in getting the proper exposure to investment capital is appreciated.